Paper making machinery



Dec. 12, 1939. J. B. MEHAFvFEY 2,182,928

l PAPER MAKING`MACHINERY Filed April 29, 1957 2 sheets-sheet 1 A'ITORNEY .DeC l2, 1939. L B MEHAFFEY 2,182,928

PAPER MAKING MACHINERY Filed April 29, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1939 UNITED` STATES 2,182,928 PAPER MAKING MACHINERY James B. Mehaiey, Lynchburg, Va., assigner to The Black-Clawson Company, a corporation of Ohio tous om,

Application April 29, 1937, Serial No. 139,748

l s Claims.

This invention relates to positioning or guiding devices for a traveling sheet of felt or other material, adapted to maintain a predetermined relationship of the center of the traveling sheet giih respect to a guide roll cooperating there- One object of the invention is the provision, in a device of the character mentioned, of a roll positioning means for automatically moving the roll for adjustment of the roll axis in such manner as to maintaina predetermined position of the traveling felt,\screen, or other sheet of material on the guide roll, the device being of such character that only small displacements of the felt or sheet take place before the correcting mechanism is eiective, so that a desired predetermined position of the sheet is maintained substantially constant.

Another object of theinvention is the provi- D sion of a positioning device for a roll of the character mentioned, including a positive control cooperating with the edge of the felt or sheet and acting to adjust the position of the roll to maintain a desired felt or sheet location, the roll itself being supported for -swinging movement about a central axis extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the roll so that itinherently tends to position itself to maintain a desired felt or sheet location on the roll.

l) Another object of the invention is the provision of a-positioning device for a roll of the character referred to, the device comprising a plurality of rollers arranged on opposite sides of an edge of the felt or sheet and adapted to move I relatively to control a fluid pressure valve adapted for operation of a roll positioning mechanism to maintain the desired position of the felt or sheet with respect `to the roll, the valve and the relatively adjustable rollers being arranged on a lo common supporting member which is movable transversely of the direction of travel of the felt orsheet to accommodate sheets of different width or to provide for adjustment of the normal position of the felt or sheet with respect to the cen- L ter of the roll.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the appendedclaims and the accompanying drawings, in whichy 50 Fig. 1 is a top plan-view of a guide roll incorv'ng device in accordance with porating a` positioni the present invention; n g I y Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing the control niti t Fig. 3 is an end viewA of the control unit;

F18. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of F18. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the roll and its positioning device;

Fig. 6 is a section on and Fig. 'I is a top plan view showing a modified form of construction.

The invention as herein disclosed is shown with relation to a guide roll for apaper carrying felt 10 or wire of a paper making machine, but it should be understood that vthe positioning device is capable of controlling other traveling sheets of material where a predetermined position of the sheet is to be maintained. As shown in the drawl5 ing, in which reference numerals are applied to the various parts, Ill designates a guide roll ofa paper making machine or the like, cooperating with an endless felt vor wire or other traveling sheet II and guided thereby. It is desired that this sheet should maintain a predetermined' position preferably centrally with respect to the ends of the roll I Il, and this predetermined desired positioning is controlled by automatically adjusting the position of the roll axis. When the sheet II moves somewhat towards one end of the roll, the -roll is automatically shifted to readjust the roll axis with respect to the general direction of travel and in such manner as to .produce returning movements of the sheet to maintain the predetermined position.

With special reference to the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the roll I0 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearing members Il and I4 which are carried by crossframe elements I5. The ends of these frame elements Il are fixed to longitudinally extending channels Il, thus providing a supporting frame a suitable distance below the top of the roll, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, in which the roll I0 is o 4 rotatably mounted. This frame also includes the cross-beam Il arranged midway between the ends ofthe roll and below the roll and seated on a s bearing surface I8 at the top of a lower cross supl porting member 20. 'I'he latter is supported at its opposite ends on beams I9, preferably in the form of channel irons, and arranged at a desired distance below the channels I6. The beams I9 are supported in flxed position on a suitable floor' or foundation. The ends of these beams 50 I9 are also interconnected by braces 23 the upper ends of whichprovide arcuate slide surfaces or rests 24 concentric with the center of rotation rolll supporting frame, and serving to slidably support, or being normally very slightly-spaced the line 6-6 oi Fig. 1; 5-

below the lower fiat surfaces on the lower sides of the bearing members i3 and i4. The cross supporting member 20, as shown in Fig. 6, provides a pivot rest for the roll supporting frame. It has a central opening 2| and the cross beam |1 has a stud 22 xed thereto and passing through this opening, the lower end of the stud 22 being secured rigidly to an arm 21 which can be moved, as will be presently described, to position the roll supporting frame about the axis of the stud 22, which extends substantially transversely of the axis of rotation of the roll and substantially transversely to the general direction of movement of the traveling sheet Il. As herein shown the axis of rotation of the stud 22 is vertical.

As the roll i@ is supported about a central vertical axis, if the traveling sheet moves towards one end of the roll it will produce a greater dragging force on that end of the roll due to the unbalanced disposition of the sheet', and this increase of drag causes the roll to tend to automatically adjust itself in such `a direction as to produce a return movement of the sheet towards its centered predetermined position. This tendency for the roll to automatically adjust itself merely by unbalance of the sheet distribution is controlled, in accordance with the present invention, so that wide variations of movement are not permitted, and so that a positive control of the roll adjustment is provided for.

This positive control is one which is automatically operated in accordance with the position of an edge of the felt or sheet As shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 2v and 3 the edge of the sheet is engaged by a roller 3| which is inclined, as shown in Fig. 2, and which bears .on the upper side of the edge portion of the sheet In Fig. 2 the sheet is shown displaced to the right from its desired normal position. 'Ihe opposite side of the sheet is engaged by two lower rollers 32 which are rotatable about their own vcentral axes. The axes of the rollers 32 are preferably arranged transversely of the sheet and below the sheet so that these two rollers provide a support for the edge of the sheet closely adjacent the position of the control roller 3|. The latter is supported for rotational movement about its own longitudinal axis on an arm 34 one end of which is pivotally supported at 35 on a bracket 36 extending from supporting mem ber 31. The other end of the arm 34 is pivotally connected at 38 to a stud 40 having at one end a socket member 4| cooperating with a socket 42 provided in the end of a lever arm 43. A spring 44 normally holds .the sogket member 4| in its seat in the end of the arm 43 so that any adjustment of the angle of inclination ofthe roller 3| produces a swinging movement of the lever arm 43 about its pivot axis 46 on the supporting member 31. Such swinging movement of the roller 3| takes place as the sheet moves towards either end of the roll I0, the weight oi' the roller 3| and its connected parts acting downwardly to maintain the roller on the upper surface of the sheet 'I'he lever arm 43- straddles the supporting member 31 and is pivotally connected at 48 to the opposite sides of a substantially U-shaped strap 49.l The upper end of this strap is connected to a rod by means of a pivot pin 5|, rod 50 carrying a piston or valve member 53 of a uid pressurevvalve 54. The latter is provided with suitable ports such as the inlet port or passage 55, exhaust passages 56 and 51, and supply passages 58 and 53 such that Q11 QI Other uid can be supplied under pressure through the passage to either passage' 58 or 53 depending upon the position of the piston 53. If the fluid pressure issupplied through the passage 58, the other passage 59 is open to the exhaust or return line through the passage 51.

The passages 58 and 59 of the control valve communicate with fluid pressure pipes 6| and 62 respectively, which extend to opposite ends of a uid vpressure cylinder 63. The latter contains a pressure piston 64 connected to the piston rod 65. The end of the piston rod is provided with a coupling member 66. The latter connects with a fitting 61 provided on the end of the arm 21 which positions the roll supporting frame. As iluid is supplied to one end or the other of the iiuid pressure cylinder E3 the roll supporting frame is therefore swung about the axis of the stud 22 so as to swing one end or the other of the roll I 0 in the general direction of movement of the sheet Il. The control valve 53 is so arranged as to produce a swinging movement of the roll axis in the same direction that the roll inherently tends to move itself because of its support at the center of the roll as previously mentioned, but the iluid pressure cylinder acts to prevent the automatic inherent movement of the roll to swing about its central pivot upon displacement of the sheet from the center of the roll, exceptunderthe positive control of the edge of the sheet. In this way any undue tendency for wide swings or large lateral displacements of the sheet are effectively damped out and a substantially constant path is provided for with a very small degree of movement permitted before thev correcting action takes place.

The roller 3| and its associated parts interconnected to it may be made sufficiently small and light so as to produce a negligible friction effect on the sheet the parts being merely heavy enough so that the roller 3l maintains its position in contact with the edge of the sheet The only physical work required of the roller 3| is the adjustment of the fluid pressure control valve, to the actual power of positioning the roll itself coming from a suitable source of pressure such as a iiuid pump 10 connected through the supply passage 1| for the supply of fluid to the inlet passage 55 of the valve, the return passages 56 and 51 of the valve being connected through pipes 12 to the pump 10.

'I'he rollers 3| and 32 and the valve controlled thereby, as previously mentioned, are mounted on a common supporting member 31, so that the relationship of these parts may be maintained without requiring adjustment or repositioning, although the supporting member 31 is bodily movable in a direction transversely of the direction of movement of the sheet 'I'hus the predetermined assembled relationship of the rollers 3| and 32 with respect to the valve which they control is maintained as these parts are adjusted as a unit. The lower end of the supporting member 31 is in the form of a foot plate 14 guided for movement along a seat surface 15 which is supported preferably by one of the channel irons I6 as shown in Fig. 5, so that the roller and control valve can be moved to accommo' date sheets of different width, or to select some different predetermined sheet location on the roll I0. Lateral shifting movements of the i'ootl plate 14 are readily effected by loosening the holding bolts 16 which extend up through slots 11'and then shifting the entire control unit bodily to a selected position after which the holding laus ' ing a suitable y aieaoas bolts 16 are tightened again. This lateral adjustment of the supporting member 31 can be readily effected, as the various fluid pressure supply pipes such as the pipes 6i, 62, 1I, i2 are made -gexibla In adjusting the position of the supporting memberA 31 it will be apparent that no changes whatever need be made in the connections to the means by which the roll i0 is actually positioned, that is,-in the uid pressure cylinder 63 and the parts which interconnect its piston rod 65 to the roll supporting frame.

The unitary control device including the control roller 3| and its controlled valve 53, supported by a common supporting member 31 and shiftable towards and awa-y from the sheet Il may be employed in conjunction with a roll that has no inherent tendency of its own to position itself for return of the sheet it carries upon displacement of the sheet. Such a construction is shown in the modification illustrated in Fig. 7 oi the drawings in which the roll 80 is mounted at one end in a bearing 8| that is carried on a suitable supporting frame. The bearing 8l, however, is adapted for pivotal movement on a fixed vertical axis to permit swinging movements of the other end of the roll 88. The other end of the roll 801s rotatably mounted in a bearing 82 which can be moved in an arcuate path about the adjustment axis of hearing 8i. the bearing 82 preferably havinga suitable guide surface on its lower side operating along an upper guide slide 83 formiixed support. The bearing 82 is moved bodily by means of a rod 84 connected to a piston of a fluid pressure cylinder 85, the latter having fluid pressure supply pipes 86 extending from a control unit generally designated by the reference numeral 8T and including rollers. valve, etc., of the character illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The unit 81 is adapted for movement along a iixed supporting plate n 89 which is fixed in position on a suitable supprt, the lower side of the plate 89 preferably serving as a support for the uid pressure cylinder 85. Adjustment of the roll 8i) is therefore provided for solely by the operation of the roller 3Ia of the control unit 81 in a positive manner to maintain a predetermined position to the traveling felt or other sheet 88.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which ls defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A positioning device of the character described comprising a cylindrical guide roll adapted for cooperation with a traveling sheet of material throughout; the entire width of the sheet. means supporting said roll substantially centrally thereof and substantially centrally of the sheet for adjustment of an end of the roll in the general direction of travel of the sheet to give an inherent tendency to the guide roll to position itself to maintain a desired sheet positioning. a con,- trol device controlled by the outer edge of said sheet in accordance with thesheet positioning on the roll and including a fluid pressure valve, and fluid pressure means operated by said valve upon displacement of said sheet for changing the position of the roll axis so as to cause the return of the sheet tothe desired position.

2. A positioning device of the character described comprising a guide roll adapted for cooperation with a throughout the entire width of the sheet, a frame, bearings rotatably supporting the roll ends and mounted in said frame, means supporting said frame for movement about an axis extending transversely of the roll axis and substantially through the center of the roll for movement of the ends of a control device in continuous rolling engagement with one edge of the sheet and controlled by said edge in accordance with the sheet positioning on the roll, holding means for said control device adjustably mounted on said frame for movement substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the roll, and positioning means carried by said frame supporting means and operated by said control device upon displacement of said sheet from a desired position for positioning said roll to cause the return of the sheet to the desired position.

3. A positioning device of the character described comprising a cylindrical guide roll adapted for cooperation with a traveling sheet of material throughout the entire width of the sheet, means supporting said roll between the ends thereof for adjustment of an end oi' the roll in the general direction of travel of the sheet, a sheet engaging roller, means supporting said roller ior rotation on its own axis and for angular adjustment of its axis by the outer edge oi said sheet in accordance with the sheet positioning on the roll to provide various acute angles of the roller axis respecting a line transversely oi.' the sheet, a iluid pressure valve operated by said means, and a iluid pressure piston and cylinder assembly having iluid pressure connections controlled by said valve upon displacement of said sheet for changing the position of the roll axis so as to cause the return of the sheet to the desired position.

4:. A positioning device of the character described comprising a cylindrical roll adapted for cooperation with and engaging a traveling sheet of material throughout the entire width of the sheet, means supporting said roll for adjustment of an end thereof in a direction substantially transversely of the roll axis, a control device controlled by .the outer part of said sheet comprising relatively adjustable sheet engaging rollers the axes of which are relatively inclined and arranged adjacent one another and on opposite sides of one edge of the sheet, `means supporting one of said rollers for adjustment of the roller axis. one or' said rollers having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the axis of said roll and the other of said rollers having an axis of rotation inclined upwardly and towards the center of the sheet and adjustable as to inclination, a fluid pressure valve operated by relative movement of saidV rollers, and a common supporting frame on which said valve and rollers are supported, means supporting said frame for movement transversely of the direction of travel of the sheet,

and a fluid pressure device operated by said valve for controlling the position of the roll axis.

)5. A positioning device of the character described comprising a roll adapted for cooperation with a traveling sheet of material throughout the entire width of the sheet, means supporting said roll for adjustment of an end thereof in a direction substantially transevrsely ofv the roll axis and in the general direction of travel of the sheet, acontrol device comprising a roller and mounting means therefor mounting said roller for adjustment of its axis of rotation to various acute anslesto-the planeotthesheetunderthecontraveling sheet of material trol of the outer part of said sheet in accordance with the sheet positioning on the roll, a iluid pressure control member operated by said control device, and power means operated b'y said iluid pressure control member upon displacement of said sheet from a desired position for positioning said roll supporting means to cause the return of the sheet to the desired position, a common support for said control device and fluid pressure control member, and means supporting said common support for movement transversely of the path of travel of the sheet.

6. A positioning device for a traveling sheet of material comprising a guide roll adapted to engage the sheet throughout the entire width of the sheet, bearings for said roll, a frame supporting said bearings, means supporting said frame A:for adjustment of the roll about a substantially vertical axis centrally of the roll and centrally of the sheet, a lower roller having a ilxed axis of rotation and engaging and supporting the lower side of the edge portion of the sheet, and a sheet engaging roller in continuous rolling engagement with the edge of the sheet and arranged above the sheet adjacent said lower roller, means supporting said sheet engaging roller for rotation about its own axis and for angular adjustment by the outer edge oi the sheet to various acute angles respecting a line transversely of the sheet, a iluid pressure valve operably connected to said roller supporting means and controlled thereby, a common supporting member for said valve and said rollers, means supporting said supporting member for movement transversely of the direction of the movement of the sheet, and a uid pressure operated positioning means having uid pressure connections controlled by said valve for adjusting the position of the axis oi said guide roll upon displacement of the sheet from a predetermined position on the roll so as to cause the return of the sheet to the desired position.

. JAMES B. ME

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,182,928. December 12, 1959.

JAMES B. MEHAFFEY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of theabove numberec'.patent requiring correction as follows: Pagev 2, second column, line h5, strike out the word "to"; page 5, seeond column, line 8, claim 2, after "of" insert thev roll in the longitudinal direction of the Y sheet,; line TO, claim 5, for "transevrsely"-read transversely; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. -Signed and sealed this 15th day of February, D. 19h0.

4Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

